Authentic learning opportunities

A comment on the post "School autonomy for curriculum to return," from February 17.

Thanks to Frank Murphy for sharing a concise trajectory of how the District's curriculum impacts our practice.

During my early tenure as a teacher, prior to Paul Vallas, I noticed only minor shifts resulting from external pressures to change teaching and learning practices in classrooms. Many of my students thrived and found school relevant and engaging. I wish I could do a case study of the many students (now graduates from colleges or gainfully employed) who thrived without scripted curriculum, with less intrusion from a test-driven school culture.

In recent years, the District's top-down mandates have caused tsunami results for teaching and learning in many classrooms. I am hopeful that the pendulum is swinging in the other direction, and we will be able to again create more authentic, engaging learning opportunities for more of our students.

-Samuel Reed III
The writer is a Notebook blogger and a teacher at Beeber Middle School.